The Past Will Come Back to Haunt You
by helpwolvesandsmile
Summary: "You know that saying 'the past will come back to haunt you' Well, my friends and I never took that literally. It was just something people tell you, you know? Ha, we were so wrong..."
1. 1 Prologue Kind of Thing

_A/N: _

_Heeeeyyyy! I haven't been on fanfiction since… a LONG time. I couldn't find any inspiration for a new fanfic and I got no story requests. But I've had this idea in my head for around a week since I finish We Still Know What You Did That Summer, and I decided to try writing my idea! So let me know if you like it. It's a really rough idea, I don't have much planned out. So I could end up scrapping it after a couple chapters. I have such writer's block. _

_Okay, enough of my ramblings (I do that a lot), on to the story!_

"Hey people, it's me, Jade," I say, sitting in my bedroom chair in front of the video camera. "So… for those of you on TheSlap who go to Hollywood Arts, you know things have been weird. Some of my friends and I and some 'others' had a little incident. No, more like an event. In fact, it made the_ news_. But news people out there tend to stretch the truth. You know, turning things juicer for better ratings and views and stuff. And I'm sure you're all curious as to where this is going. Right?"

I pause and take a sip of my root beer. Mmm, cold and fizzy. I set the bottle back on the coffee table in front of me and, kicking up my feet onto the table, continue my story. "You know that saying, 'the past will come back to haunt you?' Well, my friends and I never took that literally. Because it was just something people tell you, y'know? Ha, we were so wrong. Anyway, I just felt the need to tell the real story on what happened to us. Yes, some of the news stories were true, but not everything. And, in fact, some things were left out. No, nobody _died_, though… yours truly came kinda close. There _was_ a fire. We _did_ get locked up against our will and pretty much tortured with fear. And, yes, they _were_ _actual_ ghosts. Not some kids pulling a prank, heck no. Not like the news lines say it was."

Again, a sip of the root beer. And I ran my fingers through my hair a little. "Crazy week, huh? Exactly. Crazy, scary, a mystery, emotional, and a bit of romance, I'll admit. Fun, fun. Yeah, sure… Just get ready for fear, lots of it. And confusion. Have fun solving this mystery as I go along. Maybe you'll get a taste of what we felt. Ready? Good. From the beginning…"


	2. 2 Normal, Right?

_A/N:_

_Hi everyone! I'm in a super good mood right now! :D And, 4 reviews? Thanks! I read every one (like I always do) and I really appreciate them. Great, great reviews. Keep it up. Yes, another chapter already! I do plan to update daily; I hate leaving you guys hanging without a chapter for more than a couple days! But there could be times when I have other plans like homework (ugh!), friends, activities (not really any at the moment…) and… yeah. Bottom line, thanks for the amazing compliments and reviews, I'll update ASAP! Here's the next chapter!_

To begin… the sun was shinning high in the sky. All day the clouds had been no where in sight. A cool breeze ruffled palm trees in the area. Sikowitz came into class that day dressed as a lamb to teach us about non-human characters. Cat was bouncing around about her aunt's birthday and whatever she was getting her as a gift. I had some sour milk Festus found under the Grub Truck. Normal day at HA, right? Yeah, I guess so.

I was finally on my way to go home, just packing up my homework and things into my bag at my scissor-covered locker. Vega was mooching off Beck for some money to buy new jeans. Beck, being the soft squishy pushover he is, handed over the cash. Vega squealed all happy and high and hugged him. Normally, I'd just go off and want to throw up. But after our break-up, I've been noticing things. That girl hugged him tight and long. He seemed to be enjoying it. The look in his eyes, his smile, his chuckles…

Hey, Jade, back to the story here! Okay, so after that scene I rolled my eyes and drove home. Car ride home was normal. Music, thinking, mentally cursing those pedestrians who walk across the road slower than tortoises. Yep. I got home and had a fruit pocket. (Make sure you let them sit for two minutes! I make that mistake every time.) I was in my room doing homework when my dad came home. Started yelling up a storm, "Jadelyn August West!" And I heard his footsteps pounding down to my room, locked the door, and finished up the script assignment in my closet.

Again, normal, normal, normal day.

Well, normal as things in my life get! Until my brother knocked on my bedroom door about thirty minutes later. I answered, of course. Little brothers are a-noy-ing! But I love him. And he told me that it was important. So I asked what was _so _important. He said, "Sam, that crazy guy you dated a couple years ago. He's on the news! I guess his car was on a bridge and fell into a river or something. The…"

His car? In a river? Off a bridge? With him in it? I shoved my brother aside and raced up the stairs into our living room. The TV was on, channel six. Some news broadcasting company's channel. Fox or something. But I was shocked to see what was on the screen. An image of a black truck with its front drowned in icy water. The license plate number definitely matched what remembered his car's plate number was. And then… they showed an image of him. His blonde hair was wet (of course, the river) and he wore loose jeans and a black and red shirt. (Again, soaking.) He looked almost the same as always.

And then… I got this feeling. Not a scared/sad emotion, really. Yes, that was for sure nagging on the sidelines. But what really struck me was the sudden creepy feeling that someone was watching me. Cheesy? Kind of. But… I don't know! Just I felt like his death had something to do with me. Yes, I know he died, the newswoman said so herself. Same with interviewed paramedics. But I got this sense that he'd done that on purpose, because of me. I quickly changed the channel to cartoons for my brother to resume watching TV.

Later on, I told my stepmother. She told me it was normal. (Again, normal, right? Maybe.) She told me that I wasn't overreacting or imagining stuff. "It's normal for people to feel that way when someone they know dies. They feel like the other person's spirit is watching them, or something along those lines." She told me while I cried into a pillow. Of course she'd know. Five years as a teacher/counselor at some middle school in northern Cali.

Weird, she was right. Weird? That changes things. A break from the word "normal" right? Well, as I said, she was right. I sure felt like he was watching me, and I guess others could feel that when somebody dies. But what I didn't know was… he _was_.

_A/N:_

_Real quick note here, keep in mind that it's from Jade's POV! More interesting things to come! Especially some experiences from other characters in the gang! Keep reviewing!_


	3. 3 REVENGE

_A/N:_

_WOW! Ten reviews? Ten? Awesome! Thanks so much. Really, keep up the amazing reviews! I'm so glad to see that you all love the story. :D You people are awesome. Oh, and, even MORE updates coming! Possibly two per day this weekend (three day weekend, hehehe). This chapter things should start to get you thinking. Next chapter, we'll chat with some of the others and what happened to them… Anyhow, on to the chapter! Keep up the great reviews, I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions!_

Let's see… next day, you know, after I'd heard about the crash. I walked into Hollywood Arts that morning. Sun shinning, a few clouds, slight breeze, stupid sea gulls squawking and one left a surprise on my car. Blah, blah, blah, same-old same-old, right? Ha wrong! It wasn't normal, definitely not a normal day. My friends were acting… weird.

Of course I didn't notice because I'd been too wrapped up in the situation with Same Cooper, my cheater ex-boyfriend. He died. I should have been _somewhat_ happy, right? I mean, cheating on me with, what, three other girls at once? Betraying me? Asking for a second chance to tape up the pieces of my heart only to hammer them harder? Seriously, Jade, your life's just been rid of a horrible person! Be grateful. Yeah, nope. To start off, I did kind of love the guy. At first. Then he cheated, horribly. Break-up, wallowing in self-pity and heartbreak and a little celebration. Then I made the mistake of giving him another try. Strike two, another broken heart. He'd asked for forgiveness _yet again_. What did I do? I didn't want to strike out, that's for sure. So I told him we were over. No forgiveness. We're done. The guy was never the same again. Every time I'd seen him again… nothing but bitterness from him.

He blamed me for something, obviously. But, what? Breaking his heart by leaving him out on the curb (metaphorically, duh), crushing his feelings? Sam was the first one to play _that _card. I gave him a taste of his own sour medicine. You know, what goes around comes around. Karma. Call it what you like.

But his death… I know it was because of me. Why? Because it happened on October fourth, our anniversary from when we first started 'dating'. I know that he drove his car through the barricade and into the river on purpose. He did it on that day to show me why. How do I know for sure? My dream.

My dream… He talked to me. Not actually talking, but communicating I guess. He was wearing his clothes from the bridge accident. We were in a dark room in the middle of… nowhere, really. Just blackness and a spotlight. A stage room? Maybe. But he stood there, an arm's length in front of me, with a sad, longing look in his eyes. He shook his head, glancing over his shoulder. I saw a few more figures. Five, if you want to be exact. At least I think I had. I could barely make them out and when my eyes blinked, they weren't there anymore. I turned to Sam again. Now his eyes were cold, sparkling with anger.

He was out to get me from the moment we broke-up last. He still is out to get me. "But, Jade, how do you know this for sure?" Great question, *wink, wink.* Because I saw him mouth the word:

REVENGE.


	4. 4 Whoa, Coincidence?

_A/N: _

_Hi! Ugh so sorry for the lack of updates and the shortness of the last chapter! Shortness, don't really know why it was cut so short. Lack of updates, y'know… homework. And I have a ton this weekend. But… procrastinate until Sunday night! Yay! Ha, alright, to the story. _

_Oh, and, reviews. Thanks so much and keep it up!_

I said earlier that my friends had been acting weird, right? Well, apparently, similar situations had been bugging them. You'll see as I tell this story. So, I was at lunch, right? I'd gotten a caesar salad and some soda, not a big lunch, really. But I didn't have a big appetite at the time. Neither did anybody else. We all sat at the lunch table, silent, eating, thinking, taking a sip of a drink every minute or two. Really quiet.

Then Cat started the conversation. "I had a bad dream last night," she said, circling her finger around the lid of her drink.

Andre asked her what she dreamt about. And she told him, "it was about Amber."

This got everybody really quiet. Huh, as if we weren't already! You folks on TheSlap remember Amber, don't you? That lunatic blonde girl who terrorized my friends and I? I'm not going back into that whole mess.

Cat told us that, in her dream, Amber had tied her to a chair and was looking at her. Looking at Cat with this cold, unforgiving, yet disappointed look in her green eyes. Like the look Sam gave me in my dream, correct? Exactly. And the two were in a dark room, alone, except for five misty shapes at one part of the dream. Ring a bell? I thought so. So why was Amber in Cat's dream? You guessed it. She was a dead, bad soul out for some type of revenge. None of us knew why Amber wanted revenge on Cat. But Cat told us that the girl was dead because she'd died in prison. Excuse me, on the way to prison. After our second encounter with her, the crazy had apparently knocked out the policeman driving the car and she'd steered the car into a big tree. The tree fell on the car and killed them. Crazy.

This got me thinking about my own dream, how similar Cat's was to mine. Could it mean something? I didn't know. But I told everyone, at the lunch table, about my dream. And I asked if anybody else had experienced a same dream. Tori confessed first, telling about how that guy she used to hambone with had died three days ago and she'd had pretty much the same dream. Then Robbie fessed up, telling about his dream with some 'evil' girl who used to bully him. He said it got really bad. And the look on Cat's face when he told about it was… interesting. Anyway, Andre then told us about some old friend of his who had also died recently. And then, yes, Beck with some tale about a girl he'd met when he was eight.

I remember that girl. When Beck and I first met when we were seven, we met at this camping site in northern Minnesota, near where we both used to live. And ever since we'd been the best of friends. So, every six months, our families would go together to that camping site and stay for a week. It was actually very fun. Fishing, climbing trees, campfires (which included stories and burnt s'mores), and Beck and I playing at this old shack-house kind of thing in the middle of the woods. Well, one day on the second trip of the year, when we were eight, this girl showed up at that house. She had red hair, not like Cat's, more like a soft natural redhead kind of color. And that hair hung in a long ponytail. She was our age, and had hazel eyes. Well Beck and I got to that house and saw her. I asked her what she was doing there. She didn't answer. Instead, she went up to Beck and started batting her eyes and talking to him, making him laugh. I got really jealous. Like I tend to get around Beck Oliver. But it turned into a big fight between two eight-year-old girls. Basically pulling hair, calling each other names, and kicking at each other. Until, eventually, our parents heard the shouting and had to take us away. I remember being slung over my father's shoulder and carried away while I was still screaming at that redhead.

I know what you're thinking. 'Wow, Jade, you have held this grudge on some stupid redhead for almost ten years now.' Sure. But this girl appeared again a few years ago. My first year of Hollywood Arts, and also Beck's. But she showed up again, she got into the school because of her singing skills or whatever. Beck and I had just started dating. The girl kept flirting with him and even _kissed_ the guy, right in front of me. I don't know what Beck thought of it, but I was really mad. The girl and I had another fight, and another, and another, until one day she just didn't show up at school. Same with the next day, then week, then month, so I'd gotten the idea she'd moved or something. Fine with me.

Alright, back to right now. Well, in the story kind of 'right now'. So, after everyone talking about their dreams and the people in their dreams, we all decided that it was too much of a coincidence. Same dreams? Five other misty figures? Dark blackness room? Revenge? That's right. Revenge. We don't know why, or how, or how terrible, but we know it's on us. Well, we know now. But of course, not at the time. Though, we were going to find out.

_A/N:_

_That redheaded girl Jade's fuming over? Kinda important… _


	5. 5 Locked Up

_A/N:_

_Hi, people! What a lovely Sunday. (No, school is tomorrow.) I'm glad to see you liked the previous chapter. And, who saw the new episode last night? I did! It was really good! The next one Bade reunites! Woohoo! Anyway, I know I haven't been updating like I thought I would. So sorry. But I have a huge test next week and have been studying like a madman. Or… madwoman? I don't know. Anyway, to the chapter!_

So the rest of the day kind of dragged on. Like a turtle stuck in mud. That slow. I was all caught up in my thoughts about Sam and the dreams and whatnot. I just couldn't stop thinking about it! And I couldn't shake that bad creepy kind of feeling. Like Sam was watching me, which I know now he was.

And I couldn't quit thinking of that stupid redhead girl. Did I ever mention her name? Well, it was Lilly. Lilly, a perfect name for a perfect girl. Am I right? Allow me to fill in a big gap about this Lilly girl. She was the reason Beck and I broke up.

A few years ago, Beck and I got into an argument about her. Me, being the dumb jealous person I am around Beck, completely flipped out over the situation. He kept insisting that he didn't even like Lilly, much less love her. But I jumped to conclusions (like, again, I tend to do) and broke up with him. Of course I instantly regretted it. And I wallowed in that regret for weeks, until Sam found me. One thing led to another and… we started dating. Then he cheated, and cheated, and cheated. With three girls! I, of course, dumped him. Who wouldn't? And about a month later the guy came crawling back to me on hands and knees, saying he'd changed. My heart still in pieces because of Beck, Lilly, and now Sam, I gave him a second chance. How didn't I see that was about the worst thing to do? Because, he cheated again. And I officially dumped him. Cold, cruel, and unforgiving.

And now, just days ago, on our anniversary, he killed himself. He drove his car off that bridge, knowing it would haunt me, knowing I'd blame myself. And he was right, because I do. And it does haunt me. Along with him.

But, the rest of the day at Hollywood Arts, I didn't talk to him. I didn't say one more word to Beck. And he kept his mouth shut around me, too. Because of her, Lilly. And I can see why, so no blaming him.

But everyone else, their stories, their dreams, their people involved, was a mystery. Even Cat and Amber. I figured that, if anybody, the girl would go for me. I was, to sum it all up, the cause of that mess. My idea of dumping Julia in the lake set it off. But, that's another story. Maybe Amber went for Cat because they'd been almost friends, at first. I'm not so sure.

But Tori, Robbie, and Andre… Those situations needed work. I'd barely known this hambone guy Tori talked about. And I figured that Robbie's bully girl was the one who Rex, a while ago, said kept whipping him with her braids. And Andre had given us almost no info. "Some old friend of mine." What's that mean?

I, we, needed to find out. And we had three nights to figure it out.

Sikowitz, later that day, had put all of us together for another play he was directing. Something about a village of corn-people. I don't know what goes on in his head. I suppose I never will. Again, fine by me. But the six of us had to stay after school to prepare the set, do costumes, rehearse, things like that. Sikowitz was watching us, and he said we did pretty good. Though, he had to leave early because of this old cat he was supposed to be watching for his neighbor. And the neighbor called him and was screaming at him through the phone, so Sikowitz told us six to lock up after thirty more minutes of rehearsal, and he left.

It was a Thursday, a three-day-weekend, and we were pumped to go home and relax for three days. Or party. Or whatever. And the thirty minutes was over after a while, so we went to lock up.

Except, _we_ were the ones locked up, not the school. And that's when things really got insane…


	6. 6 No One Gets Out

_A/N:_

_Long, long time no update. I'm so sorry. But thanks SO much for your awesome reviews! I read every one, and I love the compliments, suggestions, and your opinions. And I got reviews on all chapters from karlaserna, the craziest fanfictioner who leaves the awesomest most enthusiastic reviews. Karlaserna, I missed your reviews, girl! _

_Again, sorry for the lack of updating. And this chapter could be short. : ( I'm planning something even better for the next one, though!_

"We're locked in," Andre stated, pushing on the door.

The thing wouldn't budge. Every single one of us tried to pry it open somehow; nothing. And the weird thing is, that door (or any others) _do not_ lock from the outside. Meaning, somebody out there couldn't have possibly locked us up inside. Like we were animals in a cage. And to be stuck in school and a Friday night and possibly the whole weekend? Ha, very funny! Not.

Vega goes, "But the door doesn't lock from the outside."

"Maybe it's jammed or something," Beck suggested. "We should try another door."

So the six of us wander around halls, take some turns, until we end up at the door leading to the Asphalt Café. Again, we're locked in. This one doesn't lock from the outside either. Naturally, we all started to get frustrated and a little freaked out.

I got really impatient after a third door tried. So I threw my hands up in the middle of the hallway and went, "Alright, Sikowtiz, nice trick. Now open the doors so we all can go home already!" And the power went out.

Darkness, completely dark. Except the sun's light, but it may as well have been night considering the sun had set over the tops of buildings right then.

"Now what?" Cat asked. "I'm scared. How do we get out?"

Robbie suggested that there could be a key somewhere in the school's main office. So everyone walked a little way down the hall to the office. Thankfully, we could still open all doors inside the building. So we looked around in Principal Eikner's office, looking for a key or two. Robbie found a few in some drawer with some knick-knacks and electronics taken from students. We went to the main door again. Robbie tried the first key, no luck. But the second key fit into the lock just right and made a clinking sound as he turned it. The door opened.

"Alright!" Andre said, giving Robbie a pat on the back. "Nice job, Rob."

Cat giggled. "Job Rob! Hahaha…"

"Let's just get out of here," I said impatiently and relieved. "It's Friday night, I've got to go home and scare my brother." So right as I took a step outside, the door slammed back. It knocked me down and shut hard, the lock clicked as well. Beck and Cat helped me up.

"What the…?" Tori muttered. "I _saw_ that handle turn, and the lock move to lock to door."

Robbie shrugged and tried the key again, but it wouldn't open the door. It fit, though. "Maybe… maybe I got the wrong one." He said. So he tried the two other keys. They didn't even fit right.

"Okaaayy…" Tori said. "This is weird."

Beck, having to find a reason for everything, said: "Maybe it's Sikowitz playing a trick on us." As if on cue, his cell phone rings.

"Hey, kids," Sikowitz said on the other line. There's meowing in the background. Right, his neighbor's cat.

"Hey, Sikowitz, are you… by any chance… at the school?" Tori asked. Beck's phone is on speaker.

"No. I'm at my neighbor's house, watching Lacy," Sikowitz said. "She's so cute!"

"So, you _aren't_ anywhere near Hollywood Arts," Andre confirmed. "And there isn't anyone else here, except us. Right?"

"Not that I know of. You kids should be alone. You can handle yourselves, right?"

"Yep," Tori said nervously. "Yeah, everything's great."

"Alright. Well, I have to go. Lacy fell in the fish tank again. Bye!" We heard a faint bit of, "No, Lacy! Spit out the f-" Before Beck hung up.

We all just stood there, in silent thought, thinking. Thinking about how we could have been locked up like this, and who was behind it all. My bets were still on the crazy cat-sitting bald acting teacher.

Then, I got that feeling again. The one I said before, like someone was watching me. It sent shudders down my spine and made me cold. When I turned around, there he was. Standing in front of me, with a cold look in his brown eyes. His blonde hair, his black and red shirt, jeans, all damp with river water. He stood in front of me, in a misty appearance.

I froze as his icy words seeped into me. "No one gets out."


	7. 7 Puzzle(d)

_A/N:_

_Hi, I'm back from the dead! Ha, I haven't been on fanfic in sooo long. Terribly sorry to keep you people waiting, I was really busy and had HUGE writer's block. And now my computer has a crack in the screen. :'( I know it felt like an eternity since the last update. (Right, karlaserna?) Oh well, I'm back! With another awesome chapter! Things should really start unfolding now. Hehehe._

A chill went down my spine. No one gets out? We're seriously stuck here? Of course there was a way out, right? We tried all the doors… but windows? Air vents? There are ways.

"Jade?" Beck asked, coming up behind me. I jumped and whirled around. "It's just me! Chill. You look like you saw a ghost." He eyed me curiously, his brown eyes sparkled with concern. "Are you okay?"

Oh, Beck. What am I gonna do with you? You're always making sure everybody's alright, running around like their emotional ambulance. And between stops, always checking up on me. Right? Yeah, we broke up. But I still had feelings for you, lots of them. I know you did, too. Your locker was still clear, easy to see through, because you claimed you had no secrets. Right? Yes. But, everyone can tell a lie.

Anyway…

"I'm… fine," I told him. Yep, more lies. "This whole thing is so frustrating! Sam, he keeps coming to me and telling me things." I paced the floor. "Like, he told me _he_ was the one who locked us in this chiz-prison. He says no one gets out; they're out for revenge. On what? Us?" I stopped pacing and stood still, looking at Beck. "I mean, what did we do?"

Everyone stood silent, thinking, surprised, silent.

"They?" Cat asked, clutching onto Robbie.

I nodded. "Yeah." Then I remembered the shadowy figures in my dream, the people my friends had talked about… "Them! The other people- you know, the ones who came to the rest of you. I bet that's who he was talking about."

"But why…?" Tori asked.

"Revenge," Beck finished. "Come on, these people came to us for a reason. We knew them, apparently did something they didn't like, now they're dead and out for vengeance. We just have to figure out what it was each of us did."

"A mystery!" Cat squealed, clapping. "Oh, I love these! It always makes me think of Scooby and Velma, Shaggy, the Mystery Machine…"

"We know, Cat!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

Robbie spoke up. "What about, how we get out?"

"No one gets out!" a voice shouted. Sam.

Right in front of us, Sam stood, along with five others. Lilly, the redhead mooching after Beck, some tall brown-haired girl with long hair, the hambone guy Tori used to compete with, and a dark-skinned young man with a black shirt. The people from our dreams?

"What do you want?" I asked, sounding pretty stupid for asking it.

Sam chuckled and shrugged once, turning on that blonde-haired-cute-boy charm. He stepped toward me, and I stepped back. He sighed, his eyes were lonely and regretful. I suddenly felt very guilty and almost sympathetic. _Don't fall for it._ A voice inside me warned.

"You already figured that out," Sam stated.

I rolled my eyes. "I mean, why do you want this revenge? What did we do?"

Sam's eyes turned cold. He focused on me, not blinking. And it scared me. "I'm not telling you yet, figure it out, okay?" He smirked. "It's like an old cheesy horror film, like we used to watch together. Where the evil guy with the scar over his eye toys with the hero. Right? He leaves him in thought, and guilt, letting him go mad trying to remember. He racks his brain trying. It weakens him, until his mind is nothing but a pulp, then the villain scoops him up and does whatever he wants with him."

"We're stuck here until we figure out what we did wrong?" Andre asked with a shrug.

"No, you're all stuck here until we're done with you," Sam corrected. "We promised ourselves revenge. On every one of you." He gestured to the group of ghostly people. "We're all friends here, trying to get the same thing."

Friends? All of them? I narrowed my eyes. Sam, you sick, evil, cheating, lying, confusing monster. What, so we're caged animals, rolling over and having our stomachs tickled when it suited him? There was no way out. And if did find one, he'd make sure it's blocked. So we're stuck here, trying to figure out where it all snowballed downhill, then what? We right the wrong and pray for mercy? We remain trapped until they've had enough fun?

Sam raised an eyebrow and walked away with his "friends." I stood, staring after him, in confusion. Beck wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my head. I sighed and let him hold me, staring into the shadows.

"Now what?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "But we can start by figuring out what we did wrong. Then we'll solve the rest. One, confusing, piece at a time." He smiled. "A bit like a puzzle."

_A/N:_

_Did I mention, Bade? I know you've been asking for it! ;) _


	8. 8 Flies in the Web

_A/N:_

_Whoa, it's been a while, hasn't it? Haha, so sorry about that. Sincerely. Anyway, I know we've already figured out where some pieces fit into the puzzle, but this chapter will have even more of that in it. It's staring to come together. _

I looked up at Beck. "Like a puzzle?"

He nodded, staring into my eyes. It was nice being held like that, staring into those handsome brown pools of affection, studying his perfect skin, noticing for the hundredth time how charming his straight white smile was… And I felt my heart flutter, and actually was about to lean in to have my lips meet his… Then I remembered: Oh yeah, we broke up.

Suddenly feeling a embarrassed, and with Tori and Andre 'ooh'-ing in the background, I pushed Beck away. I walked over to stand against a wall, beside Cat.

Oh Beck, you've done it again.

Cat sighed, pouting her lips, turning to me. "I usually like puzzles, but we don't even have a box to look at for this one!"

I grinned and gave her a pat on the shoulder, then turned to everyone else. "Now what?"

Andre straightened up. "We work on solving this thing. Sitting around complaining isn't going to do much," he stated. "Come on, think. One person came to each of us. Focus. Why would your person come to you? What did you do, even the smallest thing, that could have made them angry?" It got real silent, everyone thought hard.

Thanks, Sherlock, but I already knew why Sam came to me. Obvious, we've already been through that.

Then I got thinking, I remembered Lilly, how she'd interfered with Beck and I all those years ago. And I recalled the look on Cat's face when Robbie had described his bully. What if this was some sick, confusing, spider-web of all these people and all their stories, somehow linking to one another? Each containing a clue as to what another story was missing…

I voiced my thoughts. "I think this whole thing somehow connects." That got a bunch of goofy looks. "Um, like, what if each story behind each 'ghost' has something to do with every one of us?"

"That's genius!" Tori exclaimed. Her compliment was followed by ripples of agreement. My spider-web theory might just be the answer. I allowed myself a small smile.

Beck gave an approving nod. I looked down at the floor. Was I blushing?

"Like how Amber also caught Jade and I that one time," Beck started, "and Lilly knew Jade, too. Tori's hambone guy competed with Robbie…" He must have trailed off in thought.

I glanced at Cat. "Did anyone see how Cat reacted when Robbie first told us about the girl who had bullied him?"

All eyes drifted toward the redhead, whose gaze flickered from us and Robbie. Suddenly I felt bad. She was already scared enough. She didn't need this attention on her. No, she did. We needed to know.

"We were in kindergarten together," Cat began shyly, "me, Robbie, and…"

Robbie offered the name. "Christy Vicarus."

Hold on, that name sounded painfully familiar. I glanced at Beck, who was staring wide-eyed at Robbie and Cat.

Cat continued, "She was so mean! She used to kick Robbie and pull on his hair, she broke his glasses a few times, too." She sniffled. "And she knocked over my block tower."

Robbie nodded. "Cat, remember that girl she'd always be with? Dark skin, short hair with beads in it, what was her name?"

Cat bit her lip in thought. "Um… Tatiana… her last name started with an H."

Andre leapt up. "Tatiana Haffe!"

"Oh yeah, that's it." Cat giggled.

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" I said, approaching Andre. "How did you know her last name?"

Andre shrank back a little. "Well, she used to by my neighbor. Our families were good friends since I was in third grade. Tatiana and I got really close, until she moved to Pennsylvania late in eighth grade."

I processed what I'd just heard. I couldn't believe it. Things were popping up in story after story, and each time revealing more. I was correct. This whole mess was a sticky tangled spider-web, and we were but tiny flies stuck in the middle, scrambling for answers and a way to escape.


	9. 9 Playing Innocent

_A/N:_

_I know I updated yesterday, but I couldn't help myself! There are only, like, 3 reviews since the last chapter. Only 42 overall. (nobody loves me T_T Haha, totally kidding, I hope O.O) I apologize for the shortness of past and future sorties, paragraphs, chapters. They look so long when I type them, then I upload, look at it and think 'Ew. This is not acceptable.' Then it happens again in the next chapter and I just want to bash my face through my laptop screen. _

_No plan, really for this chapter. Sorry again. Just gonna see where my mind takes us. _

_MEGA freakin MEGA shoutout to karlaserna, who I have been PMing for the past hour… ish. _

"Jade! Hey Jade get back here!" Beck shouted, jogging after me.

"No! I have to find him!" I replied, turning around. I'd been storming the halls looking for you-know-who for the past twenty minutes.

Beck caught up to me. "I don't think you should be out in the halls alone, screaming at the ghosts and-"

"You're not my mother!" I snapped. I put my back to Beck, about to continue my raging through the school, when my breath caught in my throat. There he was, just leaning against a doorway with an amused grin.

"Ah, Jade West, it's so fun to watch you as you scream at everything and everyone," he spoke.

"Where have you been?" I demanded. I heard a nervous shush from Beck.

Sam shrugged. "Talking, with the other vengeance-seekers." He narrowed his eyes. "Spying on you and your friends as you tried to find answers."

Beck and I exchanged looks. "Tried to find answers?" Beck questioned.

"We did!" I exclaimed, focusing on Sam, leaning in toward him. "We solved the puzzle. Every piece."

Sam raised a brow. "Really? You sure? Because from where I'm standing, a few might have fallen under the table." He laughed. "You never were great at puzzles, Jadelyn."

Beck held back a laugh; I gritted my teeth at the use of my full name. "Sam, what do you mean we haven't solved this thing yet?" I asked impatiently.

The pale blonde-haired boy opened his mouth, then stopped as the sounds of my friends' footsteps and voices grew louder, coming nearer. He began to fade. Just as he vanished and my friends arrived, I heard him whisper in my ear:

"Stop playing innocent."

Tori, Andre, Cat, and Robbie came to us. I stood staring at the spot where Sam had vanished.

"Well?" Robbie asked.

I lowered my gaze, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "He told us to stop playing innocent."

A few moments of silence passed before Andre spoke up. "Well, they did come to us because apparently we have done something in the past to upset them, right?" A small chorus of 'rights' passed among us. "A'ight then, let's get thinking again. We didn't think hard enough last time. What could you have ever done to upset the ghost who came to you?"

Beck answered first. "I turned down Lilly, because I loved Jade," he said quietly.

Tori next. "I poured apple juice down his pants and swore I'd never hambone with him again."

Then Robbie. "I may have told the teacher on her then dumped a bin of wooden blocks on her head."

Andre confessed after Robbie. "I gave her some flowers on Valentine's Day, then kissed another girl in front of her." This statement got shocked reactions. _Andre cheated? Indirectly, but, that would still be cruel._ He looked up, holding up his hands in defense. "Not like that, you all know I'm not that guy. I kinda tripped over my shoelace and fell, the other girl was _right there_ her lips were _right there_!" He looked at the ceiling, pounding his fists against the lockers. "Stupid janky shoelaces! Why, just why!"

After a few a chuckles from Andre's cursing the shoes, faces were turned to Cat. She stared helplessly at the ground, her lip quivered. "I didn't do anything," she sniffled. "Why would Amber be mad at me? She betrayed me first!" the redhead wailed, burying her face into her hands.

I nodded. "Yeah, as far as I know Cat did nothing to Amber." I paused. "From what I remember, the only time I did something to make Sam angry was after he'd make me angry with him." That was true. "And most of you other reasons are pretty pathetic anyway," I pointed out.

"Yeah," Andre agreed, followed by a few other nods.

Tori half-smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Looks like we aren't the only ones who need to stop playing innocent."


End file.
